Observation-car.



WITNESSES mymron CW V (963% [W /(112g ATTORNEYS A. P. BIAVATLOBSERVATION cm.

APPLICATION FILED 06124, 1912.

' Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

'wml INVENTOR G #MZQWA 3 0 fi'z' q I By a: I A7TORNEY8 .A. P. BIAVATI.

OBSERVATION GAB.

APPLICATION FILED 0014, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

v wmvssss INVENTOR 0} if? Kiwi-iii ATTORNEYS Patnted Apr. 1, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AGHILLE-F. BIAVA'II, OF NEW YORK, 'N. Y.

OBSERVATION -GAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

Application filed October 4, 1912. Serial No. 723,884.

To all whom it may concern: j v

Be it known that I, AomLLE F. BIAVATI, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, boron h of Manhattan, in thecounty and State o New York, have invented a new and ImprovedObservation-Car, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, andparticularly to What are known as observation wheels, and has for anobject to provide an improved structure having a self-balancing cararranged with means for rotating the same in various directionswhile-the wheel structure is rotating. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide an observation wheel witha plurality of independently rotating cars arranged to remain in avertical position by gravity and by such action transmit power topropelling mechanism for propelling the car acertain number of turns inone direction in a horizontal plane, and then a certain number of turnsin an opposite direction. v

In carrying out the objects of the invention, a wheel structure of anydesired kind is provided having suitable bracing members. To this wheelis connected a plurality of rings, the rings'being stationary in respectto the wheel and acting as guides with tracks for cars mounted therein.These cars are formed with suitable seats to act as the usualobservation car, and' actin through gravity will remain in a verticaposition and allow the ring or track supporting the same to move as themain or large wheel moves. A plurality of gears are provided and also a'plurality of racks so arranged and associated together and with therespective cars and the wheel, as to cause the .cars to rotate in a.horizontal' plane. These gears and racks may be so set as to cause thecars to rotate in a single direction in the horizontal plane, or rotatea certain number of revolutions in one direction and then reversethemselves and rotate a oer-- tain number of revolutions in "theopposite direction. Arranged in the car are one or more seats whichrotate with the car in its horizontal movement and also a seat whichdoes not rotate in a horizontal plane so that when in use the patronsmay use'either seat.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in

at the bottom than at-the top or sides so .which similar characters ofreference indi-- eate corresponding arts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a si e View of a Wheel embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is aside view of the car and the supporting ring therefor; Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical section through the structure shown in Fig. 2;Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 3 on the line 4-4; Fig. 5 is a sectionthrough Fig. 3 on the line 55; Fig. 6 is a planview of the upperframework of the Icar shown in Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a fra mentarysectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3, the same showing the bottom ofthe car, the tracks and steps and associated parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates thewheel which may be of any size and of substantially any construction.

upon a suitable journal 2, which in turn is held properly in position byuprights 3. I

tive cars 5 are adaptedto be positions in the respective rings andguided and held I in place thereby. The cars are made heavier that thesame will naturally remain normally in a vertical position under theaction of gravit will remain substantially in a horizontal position. Inorder to cause the cars 5 to better act under the law of gravity, aplurality of double flanged wheels 6 are mounted in suitable guides 7which are secured in any suitable manner to the framework of the cars 5.

The framework 8 of the cars 5 has rigidly secured thereto an' upperframe-9 and a lowerframe or bottom 10. These upper and lower frames ofcourse are rigidly secured to the frames 8 and move therewith. Ar-' 10Cranged on the frame or bottom 10 is a circular track 11 and a pair ofsteps 12 and 13.

The track 11 is deslgned to accommodate any desired number of, flangedwheels 14' connected with the floor 15 of the horizontally moving partof the car iniwhich seats 16 are placed. Arranged centrally of the floor15 is a second floor '17 rigidly secured to a seat18. Theseat 18 issupported by a bar 19 clamped tothe bottom of the floor- 11o ing 10 bysuitable nuts 20 and 21 ,whereby the floor 17 and associated parts areheld The wheel 1 is supported so that the bottom of the cars stationaryin respect to the bottom or flooring 10 and consequent-lywill alwaysremain in a vertical posltion without independent rotation. The floor 15and seats 16 are connected with a suitable housing 22 which is rovidedwith an upper portion or top 23 avin rigidly secured thereto a shaft'2l. The shaft 24 is rigidly connected with the beveled gear 25 meshingwith the pinion 26- which is rigidly secured to 'the shaft 27. The shaft27 does not extend entirely across the car but substantially to acentral point The gear wheels 29 are adapted to engageat various timesthe racks 30, 31, 32 and 33. These racks are rigidly secured to therings 4 so that as the big wheel 1 rotates the various racks may engagethe respective wheels 29 at different times for rotating the same.

It will be observed that the racks 32 and 33' a are arranged onopposite, sides, and racks mitted through shaft 27, pinion 26, beveled30 and 31 are arranged on opposite sides so that only one of the wheels29 may engage a rack at any one time and that while enaging alternatelyracks on opposite sides of the car the cage or framework 22 will berotated in opposite directions in a horizontal plane. It will beobserved from Fig. 4 that thereis a space between the various racks sothat when one of the gear wheels 29 is disengaged from rack 30 therewill be an interval before the opposite gear wheel 29 will engage rack33. This will give the cage or housing 22 and seats 16 time to stop itsrotary movement or substantially stop the same. From Figs. 3 and 4 itwill be seen that when power is transmitted from one of the gear wheels29 the same will be transgear 25, and shaft 24 to the housing or cage22. The rotation of the housing or cage 22 will not in any way affectthe seat 18 and associated parts.

A suitable banister or railing 34: is provided so that during themovement of the housing or cage 22 no one will accidentally fall on toseat 18. Also it will be observed that suitable gates 35 are providedfor preventing any one from accidentally falling out of the car.

It will be evident that a greater or less number of racks could beprovided so as to change or vary the number of horizontal revolutions ofthe housing or cage 22 and that other minor changes could be -madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of a wheel, a plurality ofcaisupports mounted on said wheel and adapted to bodily turn with saidswhee'l, a car rotatably mounted within each of said supports, and meansfor causing said car to be of greater weight at the bottom than at thetop whereby the car will remain nor-- mally in a Vertical position whilesaid wheel is rotated. 1

2. In an observation wheel of the class described, the combination of awheel structure, a plurality of rings arranged onhsaid wheel structureadapted to be carriedthereby, said rings beingstationary in respect to 7said wheel structure, a car mounted in each pair of said rings, said carbeing heavier'at the bottom than at the top whereby the car is adaptedto remain in the same vertical position under the action of gravity,antifriction means for each of said cars engaging said rings wherebysaid rings act as tracks for said car, a rotatable cage arranged in eachof said cars and means for transmitting power frolnsaid wheel to each ofsaid cages for causing a horizontal rotary movement of said cages;

3. In an observation wheel of the class described, a wheel structure, aplurality of circular tracks rigidly secured to said wheel structure, acar for each pair of said tracks, means for holding said car on saidtracks, said cars being heavier at the bottom than at the top wherebythe cars-are adapted to remain upright continually under the action ofgravity, an independent rotatable cage arranged in each of said cars,and a plurality of means for transmitting power from said wheel to saidcage for rotating the same independently of the rotation of said wheel.

4. In anobservation wheel of the class described, a wheel structure, aplurality of guiding rings rigidly secured to said wheel structure, acar rotatably mounted in each pair of said rings having a weightedbottom, the rotatable mounting of said cars and the weighted bottomcausing said cars continually to remain in a vertical positionnotwithstanding the rotation of said wheel, an independent rotatablecage arranged in each of said cars, a gear wheel secured to said cage, arack secured to said rings, and means for connecting said gear wheel andsaid rack whereby when said wheel is rotated power will be transmitted"through said rack and said gear wheelto said cage for rotating the samewith a movementindependent of the rotation of said wheel. v

5. In an observationwheel of the class described, a wheel structure, aplurality of guiding rings rigidly secured to said wheel tructure, a carmounted in each pair of said rings and guided thereby said cars beingweighted at the bottom was to remain continually in a vertical positionnotwithstanding the rotation of said wheel structure, a rotating cagearran ed in said cars, a plurality of spaced rac secured to said ringson opposite sides of said cars, a shaft extending across said cars, aear wheel secured to each end of said sha t and adapted to alternatelyengage said racks, a pinion connected with said shaft, and a gear wheel-meshing with said pinion connected with said cage whereby power istransmitted from said wheel structure to said cage for rotating the samein a horizontal plane and in reverse .directions for .a predeterminednumber of revolutions.

6. In an observation wheel of the class described, a rotatable wheelstructure, a plurality of pairs of rings rigidly secured to said wheelstructure, said rings acting as each pair of said rings being arrangedalternately onopposite rings so that said gear wheels will engagesuccessively said racks and consequently transmit power to said cage forrotating the same, a certain number of revolutions in one direction andthen rotating the cage in a certain number of revolutionsin an oppositedirection.

7. In an observatlon wheel of the characterdescribed, a rotating wheelstructure,

a plurality of car supports arranged thereon, a plurality of carssupported by said car supports, said cars being heavier at the bottomthan at the top thereby remaining continually by gravity 1n a verticalposition,

a rotating cage arranged on each of said cars, a seat and platformarranged interiorly of eachof said cages statlonary in respect to saidcars, and means for transmitting power from said wheel structure to saidrotating cage for rotating the same,

8. The combination of a rotatable wheel, a plurality of car supportsmounted on said wheel and adapted to bodily turn with said wheel, carsrotatably mounted on said supports having greater weight at the bottomthan at the top, whereby the bottom of the cars will remainsubstantially horizontal during the rotation of said wheel, and anindependently rotatable cage positioned in each of said cars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this'specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' Witnesses:

JAcoB KALLMAN, FREDERICK C. BREWSTER.

'ACHILLE F. BIAVATI.

